Nursing bottle and nipple guard



D. G. CHESTER NURSING BOTTLE AND NIPPLE GUARD Feb. 9, 1943.

Filed 001:. 4, 1941 511cm: EYB

Patented Feb. 9, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NURSING BOTTLE AND NIPPLE GUARD Dorothy G. Chester, Daytona Beach, Fla. Application October 4, 1941, Serial No. 413,677

3 Claims.

This invention relates to nursing bottle guards, and its general object is to provide a guard that not only protects the bottle against breakage, but prevents removal of the nipple therefrom, thus eliminating any possibility of spilling of the contents of the bottle.

A further object is to provide a nursing bottle guard that includes an open frame container and the bottle can be easily and expeditiously inserted and removed with respect to the container, but casual removal therefrom or displacement relative thereto is practically impossible.

Another object is to provide a nursing bottle guard that includes means for detachably connecting the container relative to a crib or the like, and the connecting means or the container will in no way interfere with the normal use of the bottle.

A further object is to provide a guard of the character set forth, that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and extremely eflicient in use and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention indetail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the container and the attaching or connecting means thereof, and illustrates a bottle with its nipple thereon, mounted within the container.

Figure 2 is a top plan view, with the bottle removed.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the letter A indicates a nursing bottle of the usual well known cylindrical type, and B the nipple therefor, and while the container shown is particularly designed for that type of bottle, it is to be understood that it can be designed, within the scope of the invention for any type of nursing bottle having any type of nipple thereon.

The form of container shown includes upper and lower annular bands I and 2 respectively, and welded or otherwise fixed to the bands for disposal vertically between the same is a number of equidistantly spaced body forming ribs preferably" made from strands of substantially rigid wire. Certain of the strands not only provide body ribs which are indicated by the reference numeral 3, but those strands extend below the lower band 2 and are bent to provide bottom ribs 4 that cross and are connected to each other centrally of the bottom of the container, as best shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. The other body ribs 5 have their ends beveled and terminate flush with the outer peripheral edges of the bands, as shown in Figure 1.

The body ribs are preferably outwardly curved or bulged for disposal a considerable distance from the bottle A to prevent contact therewith, in the event of inward pressure upon the ribs, brought about by the child striking the container against a crib or the like, or dropping the container upon the floor. A circular center rib 6 formed from a strand of wire is welded or otherwise fixed to the inner sides of the body ribs midway their ends for bracing and holding the same against movement relative to each other.

The lower band 2 has a beveled outer face to follow the shape of the body ribs and the inner face is straight to provide a bearing for a cup 1 that is seated in the bottom of the container against the bottom ribs 4 and held accordingly by frictional engagement with the band 2. The cup is made from elastic material, such as rubber to provide a cushion seat for receiving the bottom of the bottle A which has an external bead about the upper end thereof to cooperate with a marginal bead on the nipple, to hold the latter on the bottle, as will be apparent upon inspection of Figure 1.

The inner face 8 of the upper band is inwardly rounded transversely throughout its circumference, to bear against that portion of the nipple that is disposed about the bead of the bottle, as clearly shown in Figure 1, to prevent removal of the nipple from the bottle when mounted within the container, thus preventing spilling of the contents of the bottle.

In order to allow ready insertion and removal of the bottle with respect to the container, as well as to assure a uniform pressure of the upper band throughout its circumference upon the nipple, the upper band is made up of sections. there being three sections in the form shown, namely an intermediate section 9, and end sections In, the latter sections having their inner ends connected to the ends of the intermediate section by coil springs II that are connected to the outer faces of the sections and disposed in bridging relation to said ends. The outer ends of the end sections H] are connected together in spaced relation to each other by latching means 2 which includes a pair of strips l2 fixed to the outer faces of the end sections and extending beyond the outer ends thereof, as well as terminating in companion hooks l3 and [4 to be hooked one within the other, as shown in Figure 2.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that when the upper band is in latched position about the nipple, the springs urge the sections against the nipple and not only prevent removal thereof from the bottle, as previously set forth, but also prevents removal of the bottle from the container, but when the band is in unlatched posi-- tion, the bottle can be easily and expeditiously inserted and removed with respect to the container. In fact, the springs make is possible to insert and remove the bottle when the band is in latched position. The latching means is preferably provided with knobs I5, there being a. knob secured to each strip, and the knobs 15 provide finger pieces to facilitate locking and unlocking the latching means.

I preferably provide means for connecting the container to a crib and the mattress thereof, and the means shown includes a flexible element such as a chain l6, having one end connected to a body rib 3, and a ring I! is connected to the opposite end of the chain. A suction cup 18 is secured to the ring for application to a portion of the crib, and a safety pin I9 is connected to the ring to be fastened to the mattress, thus preventing the child from throwing the bottle on the floor, as will be apparent.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A guard for a nursing bottle having a nipple thereon, said guard comprising an open frame container for receiving the bottle therein, said container including upper and lower bands, ribs secured to and extending between the bands to provide the body of the container, said ribs being outwardly rounded in bulged formation to be spaced from the bottle, a center rib secured to the body ribs to brace the same, bottom ribs formed on certain of the bracing ribs, an elastic cup mounted on the bottom ribs to provide a cushion seat for the bottle and the lower band bearing against the cup to hold the latter in place, said upper band being arranged to bear against the nipple to prevent removal thereof from the bottle and the latter from the container, said upper band being made up of sep arable sections, coil springs connecting certain of the ends of the sections together for the upper band to set up a uniform pressure throughout the circumference thereof on the nipple, latching means for connecting the remaining ends of the sections together and including hooks to be hooked one within the other, handles for manipulating said latching means.

2. A guard for a nursing bottle having a nipple thereon, comprising an open frame container for receiving the bottle, a band at the upper end of the frame composed of separate sections resiliently connected together to cause a uniform pressure throughout the circumference on the nipple, and a latching means carried by the adjacent ends of two of said sections for holding the same together.

3. A guard for a nursing bottle having a nipple thereon, comprising an open frame formed of curved ribs connected at their upper and lower ends by circular bands, the upper band adapted to engage a nipple on the bottle and hold the same thereon, said upper band being made of three sections connected together by coil springs, and latching means carried by the adjoining ends of two of said sections for holding the band tightly aginst the nipple on the bottle.

DOROTHY G. CHESTER. 

